Improvement in electric-light regulators



3 Sheets-Sheet '1. C. F. BRUSH. Electric Light-Regulator. No. 212,183.

afented Feb. 1,1, 1879.

yllllllll 1NvENToR 1l. PETERS, PHOTOYLITHOGMPHER, WAsHmGTON. D C.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

C. F. BRUSH. Electric Light-Regulator.

Patented Feb. 11, 1879.

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Q/Q` INVENTOR XMS mi (BWxmmlmq' ATT RNEYS N.PETEFS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

3 Sheets-Sheet; 3

C. P. B RUS H. Electric Light-Regulator.

1NvENToR M, .am 1 SAAQ ATggL" W TNE`SSES UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Cl'lAltliES F. BRUSH, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO.

EMPROVEMENT kIN ELECTRlC-LIGHT REGULATORS.

Specification ilu-ming part ol' 'Letters Patent No. 212,183, dated llebrnary 1l, 1&79; application tiled To all @them 'it amy concern:

Be it lnown that l, CHARLES F. BRUSH, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State otl Ohio, have invented certain new and useful l'mprovements in ElectrieLight Regulators; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ot' the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to malte and use it, reference bein g had to the accompanying drawin gs, which form part ot' this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in electric-light regulators; and consists in the devices and appliances hereinafter set forth and claimed.

ln the drawings, Figure l represents a vertical section ol' an electric-light regulator embodying mv several improvements. Fig. 2 shows a modified arrangement ot' releasing mechanism and clutch G- H. Fig. 3 shows a modified arrangement ot principal helix e and adjusting-helix l. Fig. d shows another modification et' the saine. Fie. 5 shows one method of applying the adjusting-helix I to an ordinary magnet, such as is involved in many regulators in conmon use. Fig. 6 shows the adjusting-helix I as used without a principal helix. Fig. 7 shows a n'iodiiication of the saine. Fig. 8 shows the adjusting-helix and principal helix operating diilerent cores or magnets.

n lfig. l, l is a base, ot' suitable material,

to which is attached a metallic post, E, supporting the arm X, which carries the rod B. This rod moves through holes in the arm X, and has at its lower end a carbon-holder, which clamps the carbon l? lirmlgv in position, so that is carried up and down with the rod. is a ring-clamp surrounding the rod B, and prolonged and weighted at one side, as shown. This clamp is supported on projections attached to the arm X. Z is a tube loosely surrounding the rod B, for the purpose ot' prei'fcnting the clamp H being carried up with the rod l5 when the latter is raised.

' l) is an iron core rigidly attached to the tube lil, which, projecting above and below the core, passes through suitable bearings, as shown, and terminates above in the carbonholder L', which. clamjs the carbon F', the

May 7, 1878.

latter extending down the tube hl as far as may be desirable.

c are arms attached to the upper end ofthe core D, by means of which the spiral springs C support and :torce upward the core D, and with it the carbon lll. c are adjustingscrews, for regulating the tension ot' the springs C.

G is an arm carried by the carbonholder L', and its upper cud passes loosely through a hole in the prolonged end ot the clamp ll'. This clamp is provided at its end with an insulating material, m, so that the arm Gr cannot make electrical contact with it. rlhe arm Gr is provided with an adjustable collar, u, so placed that when the core D is at the limit ot' its upward movement the end ot the clamp l will be slightlgr raised.

The lower portion ot' the core D is surround ed by a helix of coarse wire, fr, having one ot its ends attached to the binding-post N, and the other, in connection with the carbon-holder L', through the tube M and its upper bea-ri ng, shown. l? is a binding-post, connecting with the post E.

lVhen the regulator is not in operation, the springs C will force the core D upward, the collar a on the arm G will raise the end ot the clamp H, the rod B will be released, and will fall until the earbons F F are in contact. The arm X being provided with a slot through which the post E passes, the carbons F F may be adjusted in proper apposition by loosening the nut J, which may then be tightened.

The operation of the device as tar as described is as follows: The posts l) N being attached to a suitable source of electricity, the current passes through the post E, arm X, and rod 3 to the carbon l?, thence through. the carbon E', tube M, and helix A to the other binding-post, Under these conditions Vthe core l) is drawn down by the axial maglietisin ot' the helix A, carrying with it the carbon F and arm G. The weighted end of the clamp ll being thus allowed to fall at 'the beginning of the downward movement, the sides of Vthe hole in the clamp through which the rod passes iinpinges against the latter, and prevents its downward movement ot' carbon F.

'Ehe core D, continuing to move downward, sepa-rates the carboni-5 l? ll', and th i .folta-ic 2 e, l y 212.183

arc is developed between them, thus producing the electric light. The tension of the spring C is so adjusted that the downward movement of the core D will be arrested when the carbons F F are sufficiently separated,

the magnetism of the helix A being much retric current acting on the core D. When the carbons have burned to such an extent that the core D approaches near to the limit of its upward movement, the clamp H is raised, and the rod B, being liberated, falls downward, carrying with it the carbon F, until the downward movement of the core D, caused by the shortening of the voltaic are, allows the clamp H to again fasten the rod By means of this simple device an'electric light may be uniformly maintained for many hours, the onlylimit to the time being the length of carbon rods employed.

The releasing-arm G, Fig. may be replaced by the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, consisting of a lever, g, pivoted at one end to the post E, and connected by a link, G, withthe clutch or clamp H. One rend of the lever g projects over the carbon-holder L', from which itis insulated by suitable material h, as shown. The lever g and link G are so arranged that when the carbon-holder L is` at its upper limit the lever will be raised by it, thus rais ing the clamp H and liberating the rod B.

Obviously, many forms of clamps H and 'releasing mechanism G may be employed, the

essential element being suchV as will release the rod B when the core D' approaches near to its'upw'ard limit, and clamp it when the core moves in the opposite direction. In case it becomes desirable to operate this regulatorin other positions than the vertical one shown,

it will only be necessary to so arrange matters that gravity or suitable springs, or both, may produce the same movements'otl the several parts which gravity and the springs C produce in the vertical position described.

fe have now to consider the second important element of my invention, which consists in the introduction of the second helix, I, used alone or in combination with the principal helix A. I have styled this vsecond helix the adjusting-helix, and will so refer to it in my description. It is employed for the purpose of governing the automatic adjustments of the regulator, its value for this purpose being more apparent when two or more are used in a single electric circuit.

It is well known that when an attempt is made to use two or more regulators .of ordinary forms in a` single electric circuit they work very irregularly, some allowing their carbons to come and remain in contact, while others have their carbons widely separated. The cause of this irregularity may be explained asfollows: Supposing two regulators are being used, at the commencement of the operation the regulators may start evenly, especially if a limit is fixed to the -separation of their carbons. When, however, the carbons burn away, so that" the weakened current allows them to move toward each other, this movement will commence in one regulator before it doesl in the other, as it is impossible to adjust the regulators so nicely that their automatic adjustments will take place simultaneously; but assoon as one pair of carbons approach each other, the electric current is strengthened, and the other pair of carbons, which were about to move forward, will be retained in their old position. When another adjustment becomes necessary, the same regulator which proved the more sensitive in the iirst instance may again advance its carbon first. Theseo'perations are liable to continue until the more sensitive regulator has its carbons in contact and ceases to afford light, while the other monopolized the whole voltaic arc, which was at first divided between the two. yHence it appears that noy more than lone regulator of the ordinary form can be successfully operated by a single current. lf, however, a device can be applied tothe regulators above considered which shall lautomatically tend to force the carbons together with a constantly -increasing pressure as their distance increases, thenthe two regulators, or as many more as the curv rent is capable of operating, will work uniformly, each maintaining its due portion of the voltaic are. This important resultl attain by means of the adjusting-helix I. lThis helix consists of wire very much finer than that of the helix A, and consequently the'wire is much longer and makes more convolutions than the latter. The ends of the fine wire are lconnected with the binding-posts P and N, but

in such a manner that the electric current shall pass through it in ad'irection opposite to that in the helix A.

It will now be seen that the electric current has' two passages provided for it'-one of high resist-ance through the adjusting-helix I, and the other of comparatively low resistance through the'helix A, carbonsF F, and the voltaic'arc between them.

It is well known that when an electric current has two channelsfor its passage it will divide itselfbetween them, the relative amounts pass- :ing through them being'inversely as their resistance. Hence, any increase in the resistance of one conductorl produces a corresponding increase of current in the other. 1t follows, from the dierence in direction of the current in the two helices, that the helix I 'will 'y constantly tend to neutralize the magnetism produced by the helix A in the core D,"an`d thus diminishthe force which draws the latter downward. rlhe number of convolutions of thrx helix l and its resistance are so proportioned to the number of eonvolutions in the helix A. and its resistance, together with that of the normal voltaic are, that the niagnetizing power of the latter helix shall be much greater than thatot'thcfornier. rlhemagnetiziugpower of the former is, however, very considerable, notwithstainlin the sinall amount ot current which passes through it, owing to its great number of conrolutions.

Suppose, now, that two or more regulators, provided with adjustinghelices, are introduced into a single suitable electric circuit. lhe preponderant magnetism of the helices A will operate to separate the carbons in the several regulators, as before explained, and the neutralizing elfect of the adjusting-helices l will be equalin all, thus performing no function as long as the regulators work uniformly; but when any irregularity of action. commences by which one pair of carbons are separated more than their normal distance, then, owin to the increased resistance of the main circuit in this particular regulator, the current in its adjusting-helix is increased, thus further neutralizing the ellect of the principal helix, and allowing' the springs (l to push the carbons bach to their normal position.

lf the carbons in any instance approach too near together, the diminished resistance of the main circuit in this instance weakens the currentthrough the adjusting-helix, allowing the principal helix to separate the carbons to their normal 'distancel rFlins it may be seen that the use ot' this simple device cbviates all the difficulties hitherto experienced in multiplying electric lights ironia single source of electric ity. f

The adjustinghclix l may occupy various positions in relation to the principal helix A without interfering with its peculiar function. Thus, for instance, it may be placed within the principal helix instead of at either end, or it may be placed outside ofthe latter. These inodilications are shown, respectively, in Figs.

and fl.

'l he adjusting-helix is equally applicable to those regulators in which an ordinary electromagnet is employed, having its helix or helices rigidly attached to its core or cores. One n'leihod ol" so applying it is shown in 5. Ur it may bo applied to those regulators having' two principal helices, like the well-known i lsrowningl and similar regulators. lt is, of course, equally applicable to single principalhelix regulators other than that represented in Fi l-such., for example, as that described in a former application of my own.

ll'hen a single regulator is used in an electric circuit tue adjusting-helix acts a valuable governor, 1 ireventing sudden changes of position in the carbons, and insuring great uniformity oi' working.

life have yet to consider' the application of adj ustin g-helix to those regulatorsin which it may replace the principal helix entirely,

while still performing its peculiar function. Such a regulator is shown in Fig. G, in which the carbon F is stationary, being connected directly with the binding-post N. The adjust ing-helix l here acts on an iron core, p, attached to the outer end of the clamp H, and taking the place of the weight similarly placed in Fig. 1. One end of the adjusting-helix is attached to the binding-post i3 through the post E, while the other is attached to the binding-post N.

'lhe operation of the device is as follows: The electric current being supplied to the bind ing-posts l) N, the carbons are properly separated by raising' the rod B. rlhe electric cur rent then divides itself between the main cil cuitofthe regulator, including the carbons F F', and that ofthe adjustinghelix, as before explained. lV hen, now, the carbons burn away so that their separation becomes too great, the increased resistance of the main circuit strengthens the current in the adj ustinguhelix, so as to enable it to lift the core p, and with it the clamp H, thus allowing the rod B to nieve downward until the decreasing resistance of the main circuit again allows the core p to fall and clamp the rod l.

Fig. 7 shows a niodilicd application of the adjustin helix as applied to the regulator' just described. llere the helix l. and the core p, Fi 0'. 6, are replaced by an ordinary electroniaguet wound with the adjusting helix or helices, and acting on an armature of iron attached to the clamp ll, as shown.

Fig. 8 shows a inodilication or development of the regulator represented in Fig. G. In this case the lower carbon, F', is operated by a principal helix, A, in the manner described in connection with Fig. l, while the niechanism for releasing the rod l is operated by the adjusting-helix l, as described in connection with Fig.

vWe have here the principal helix A and the adj ustin g-helix l performing their several characteristic functions, although separated from cach other and operating upon different cores or magnets.

l. The combination, in a single circuit, of

two or more electric lights, each of which isprovided with an upper carbon point, having mechanism connected therewith for releasing the carbon-holder and allowing it to be fed by gravity, and a lower carbon, the position of which is regulated by the resultant force of axial magnetism caused by the passage of electricity through a helix on the main circuit and a helix on a shunt circuit, substantially as set forth.

2. In an electric-light regulator, the combination, with a carbon-holder, of a magnet surnuuled by two helices, one helix located in the niain circuit, and the other in a shunt-cir cuit, the inain and subsidiary currents passing through said helices in opposite directions, inibstantially as set forth.

ln an electriclight, the combination, with :t movable core supporting a carbon point and upheld by suitable springs, of a helix surrounding` the core and connected with the main circuit, and a supcrposed subsidiary helix, also surrounding the movable core and connected t with a shunt-circuit, substantially as set forth. 4. In an electric light, the combinatiomwith 'n movable core supporting one ot' the-carbon points, and t main and subsidiary helix surrounding seid core, and respectively connected with main and shunt circuits, of the upper carbon point and suitable intervening mechanism, whereby the upper carbon point is fed downward by the action of the lower carbon point, substantially its set forth.

to this specification in the presence ot' two.

subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES F. BRUSH. Witnesses:

F. TOUMEY, F. M. FABER. 

